Provenance investigation of lake deposits from contrasting altitudinal zones in a multi-factor driven small mountainous catchment, Hengduan Mountain Region, Southwest China

The dataset of this study aims to reveal the contribution characteristics of different vertical zones to sediment sources within the Ezhang River catchment in the Hengduan Mountains. Sampling sites were distributed across the basin, and the dataset consists of two major categories: surface soil data and lake core sediment data. Specifically, the Sediment Source dataset contains 65 sample groups, with each group comprising an identification code, sample name, land-use type, elevation, and concentration data of 20 elements. In contrast, the Lake Core dataset was derived from one single borehole and includes 81 data groups, where each group covers depth, mean depth, excess lead-210 (²¹⁰Pbₑₓ), cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs), sedimentary year, and concentration data of 20 elements.